Why do boaters now need to have a Pleasure Craft Operator Card?
A. Recreational boating is a favourite pastime in Canada with between seven and nine million people enjoying Canadian waterways each year. Sadly, not every boating excursion is a return trip: Over 200 boating fatalities occur each year along with an estimated 6,000 non-fatal accidents – most of them preventable. The general public and pleasure boaters had expressed concern that anyone of any age could operate a watercraft without having any prior boating experience. The Pleasure Craft Operator Card regulations are an attempt to reduce the number of boating related accidents & fatalities. The goal of the program is to encourage boaters to evaluate their capabilities and limits, to prepare themselves adequately before heading out, and to be responsible on the water.
